Gov’t hands out 209 land titles at Mount Sinai, New Amsterdam
Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon and Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Annette Ferguson, yesterday morning distributed 209 land titles to residents of Mount Sinai, New Amsterdam at a ceremony hosted at the Berbice Educational Institute, Vryheid, New Amsterdam.
“This morning you will see that the distribution of these titles has nothing to do with which political party you represent, this is a distribution of titles to deserving Guyanese…We’re on the right path…this is not the end because 209 out of 1010 [land titles] is still a far way to go,” Harmon said.
Given that the Caribbean Court of Justice had said that Guyana now has a caretaker administration, events of this type will increasingly raise questions on the limits of the government’s authority.
A release yesterday from the Ministry of the Presidency said that the distribution exercise is part of an overall Government programme to regularise the community and enhance residents’ quality of life.
“I would like to see, when I go back into that area again, the children are not playing football on the street; that the little boys are not liming at the sides of the street; that we can provide facilities that will help them to live and to play in safe spaces that a developed country like ours can provide… So the introduction of street lights and lights in the homes, the introduction of water, the development of roads in the community and the fact that we will have to have some other open spaces, parks where your children can play, becomes more important,” Harmon said.
Contrary to the misinformation in some sections of the media, Ferguson said the Government never abandoned the issuing of house lots.
“What we have embarked on is to provide a mixed housing solution … We are working to provide both house lots and housing units,” she said.
The release said that in an invited comment, Deborah Leitch said she has resided in the area for over 25 years and is grateful to finally have possession of her land title.
“Today I must say thank God. I would like to say thanks to the Housing Minister and members of the Government and other persons who would have made it possible, who would have helped me to acquire this title,” she said.
Another resident, Yvonne Mourant said there have been many developments in the community over the past four years. “We have a lot of development because we got the water first, and then we got the lights and we are very much proud of it. We’re looking forward now to have drainage and the road,” she said.